Cooling and transfer table



July 26, 1960 K. NEUMANN COOLING AND TRANSFER TABLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1957 July 26, 1960 K. NEUMANN 2,946,248 COOLING AND TRANSFER TABLE Filed April 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lace; NEUMAW/I/ 7 I g 4 COULING AND TRANEFER TABLE Karl Neumann, St. lngbert (Saar), Germany, assignor to Mueller & Nenrnann G.m.h.l-i., St. ingbert (Saar), Germany, a firm Filed Apr. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 653,104

1 Claim. (Cl. $-42) The present invention relates to new improvements in roller cooling and transfer tables as required in rolling mills -for cooling or transferring the metal sheets produced in such mills.

Cooling tables on which the metal sheets are cooled by means of rollers have the considerable advantage over those of other types that the sheets are cooled much more uniformly and efficiently and that the points of contact between the cooling table and the hot metal sheets are much smaller. g V

In such roller cooling tables, the transfer rollers are preferably made in the form of narrow disks or rollers of a relatively large diameter." These disks which are mounted on shafts are usually either driven directly, or they are driven indirectly by means of small friction rollers on which the transfer disks are supported.

In View of the heat radiated from the metal sheets, it has been a considerable difliculty in cooling tables of any previous type to provide a proper lubrication thereof. This is true also for roller cooling tables in which, however, the additional danger occurs that the heat transferred thereto by radiation and conduction might distort the shafts on which the transfer disks are mounted.

Another difiicult problem occurring in roller cooling tables consists in the fact that all transfer disks or rollers should have the same peripheral speed in order to avoid harmful relative movements between the transfer disks and the metal sheets, and also in order to insure a trans fer of the sheets in the proper direction along the cooling table. i

In one prior design of a cooling table as described in the US. Patent No. 1,390,853, in which the transfer disks or rollers are arranged in a staggered relation to each other, these disks are mounted on'continuous, directly driven shafts which are rotatably mounted in bearings.

This type of construction of a cooling table has the disadvantage that the bearings of the shafts are exposed to the heat radiated by the metal sheets and that it is therefore very diflicult to provide an adequate lubrication of the bearings. Furthermore, such heat is bound to distort the long shafts on which the transfer disks are mounted and will distort them unevenly. Consequently, the upper surface of the cooling table formed by the transfer "disks will no longer be level, and the table is easily subject to breakdowns in operation and will require frequent and considerable repairs. i

Another known type of construction of a cooling table provides a table surface which is formed of a plurality of parallel and independently acting groups of rollers of a relatively small diameter which are driven individually or in groups by means of small friction rollers, and each pair of which is mounted on "acommon shaft.

This type of construction of a cooling table also has the disadvantage that the shafts on which the transfer rollers are mounted will be unevenly distorted by the heat of radiation of the metal sheets. Depending upon the type or direction of the distortion of the shafts, the

Patented July 26, 1960 rollers will deviate from their vertical position, a relative movement between the peripheral surfaces of the rollers and the metal sheets to be transferred will result, and the individual units each consisting of a pair of rollers on one shaft will no longer be in balance.

Furthermore, when starting and stopping the rotation of the transfer rollers of this typeof cooling table, the danger prevails that relative movements will occur between the peripheral surfaces of the driven friction rollers and the transfer rollers driven thereby, that therefore the metal sheets may not be moved in the proper direc tion, and that considerable wear will occur, as well as relative movements between the metal sheets and the transfer rollers.

This type of cooling table that for driving each transfer roller two frictional rollers are required. Furthermore, since the transfer rollers of. the individual units are disposed one behind the other in straight parallel lines and are not staggered relative to each other, the diameter of the rollers determines the distance between the axes of the individual rows. Therefore, if the distance between the individual rows of rollers is sufiiciently small so as to insure a proper transfer even of short strips of sheet metal, the maximum diameter of the rollers must necessarily be vary small, with the result that the heat radiated by the metal sheets will exert a vary harmful effect upon the shafts and bearings of the friction rollers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a, roller cooling table for metal sheets which avoids all of.

V the above-mentioned disadvantages of the known constructions of such tables and which particularly insures that the cooling and transfer surface formed by its rollers or disks will always be completely level.

This is attained according to the inventionby providing a cooling surface which consists of a large number of transfer disks which are arranged in a staggered relation to each other on directly driven shafts which are rotatably mounted without intermediate axial bearings and by means of small rotatable supporting rollers which'do not exert any driving force upon the transfer disks or shafts, and each pair of which rotatably supports at least two adjacent transfer disks mounted on one shaft portion.

Another object of the invention consists in subdividing the long directly driven shafts into a plurality of shaft portions of a number and length depending upon the width of the cooling table, and in interconnecting the adjacent shaft portions by means of expansion couplings.

A further object of the invention consists in providing a cooling table which is designed so as to avoid any distortion of the shafts carrying the transfer disks by enclosing these shafts within tubular members which have an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the shafts.

For this purposepthe individual tubular members are preferably made of a length which is slightly smaller than the inner width between the hubs of two adjacent disks and so that their ends are centered on the shafts also has the disadvantage,

3 l Fig. shows a partial cross section similar to Fig. 2 but on an enlarged scale; While Fig. 4 shows a cross section of the cooling table according to Figs. 1 to 3, taken in the direction of transfer of the metal sheets. i

Referring to the drawings, each full. shaftlength of the cooling-table according to the invention is divided into two separate sections of substantially equal length, each of which is driven by a separate motor M at the respective outer end thereof. The total length of each shaft section forming. one-half of the width of the cooling table preferably amounts to about 55. ft. Primarily for reasons of an easier manufacture, each shaft sectionis subdivided into three parts or sections W W and-W which are connected to each other by means-of'expansion couplings K so as to permit each part of the, shaft to expandfreely. 7

Each of these directly-driven composite shafts W1 to W carries aplurality of transfer disks, for example, T to T and is rotatably mounted without any axial bearingsbut by means of small supporting rollers S which; are freely rotatable within bearing brackets B and sup: port transferdisks T to T As illustrated particularly in Figs. 3 and- 4, each bearingbracketB carries a, pair of such supporting rollers S, and each pair supportsonetransfer disk T at two angularly spaced points thereof, thereby also supporting andcentering the composite shaft W to W Thus as shown in Figs; 2 and 3, two alternatedisks T on each shaft portion W are supported by twosets of rollers S, The-supporting rollers S are thus spacedat a considerable distance from the hot metal sheets;

which are transferred along their-upper surface, and the bearings of these rollers S will be affected so littleby the; heat radiated by the metal sheets that they will not be: structurally harmed, nor will their lubrication be imp i dgreater width than the hub thickness of disks T.. Disks;

T are secured to these shaft portions D,'for example,

by keysK. The outer ends of tubular members R' are: slidably mounted on the projecting ends of shaft portions;

D, and these members thus form a cylindrical air space E around each shaft portion C. The heat radiated from the metal-plates will then first impinge upon these tubular members R, and since it will not immediately heat these. members entirely uniformly, they will have thetendency to become slightly distorted. However, before the heat can penetrate through the tubularmembers R and to shaft portions C, these members will have by heatconduction become uniformly heated along their entire. peripherysorthatwhatever heat might radiate inwardly.

therefrom upon. shaft portionsC will, heat the shaft. so uniformly. that any uneven distortion thereof will be avoided; I

The heat-resistant effect .of tubular members Rmaybev further; increased to a considerable extent-by providing.

them eitheron the outside .oronthe inside, or on-b'oth sideswith afpaintlike coating consisting of a material h ch. it l s n d rad at o sep lent: The different shaft: portions. may; alsof-be coatedwith such material. Such coating will have the eifect that the shafts will be heated very uniformly and that any uneven distortion thereof will be absolutely prevented.

If the motors M driving the various shafts W of the cooling table directly are electrically synchronized, such direct drive will absolutely insure a uniform peripheral speed of all transfer disks and prevent any relative movement between these disks and the metal sheets which are being transferred thereon.

The'diiferent means as described for protecting the shafts from distortion will insure that the transfer surface formed by the large number of transfer disks in a staggered relation to each other will always. be within a perfectly level plane regardless of the speed of trans'" I fer of the metal sheets.

Since the rotatable supporting rollers which do' not exert any driving force upon the shafts or transfer disks arespa ed at a considerable distance from the hot metal sheets, their bearings will never become unduly heated. Consequently, these hearings will not become distorted or jam, the lubrication of these hearings will not be harmed, and they will always work perfectly. Furthermore, the particular construction and distribution of the various pairs of supporting rollers according to the invention reduces the required number thereof and therefore also thecostof production of the cooling table.

In conclusion it may once more be stated that par.

tieularly insofar as the, lubrication and distortion ofthe various parts are concerned, the, design of. a cooling, table according to, the present invention completely and reliably overcomes the various difficulties incurred in all previous cooling tables by the heat radiated from the. metal sheets; conveyed. thereon and it also safely prevents the occurrence of any relative movements between the transfer disks and the metal sheets which are to be transferred thereby.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, llwishto have it understood that it is in no way limiteditq the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended; claim.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim A coolingbed for cooling and conveying hot metal sheetsfrom a: rolling mill, comprising a plurality of parallel shafts, a driving means directly connected to.

each of; said shafts, each shaft comprising aplurality of coaxial sections-wherein; saidtsections are. connected to. each, other by expansion, couplings, each shaft section. having mounted thereon at least three. circular transfer: disks, a pair of "supporting rollers engaging with alternate. disks, there-being at least two pairs of support rollers for each shaft section, said'rollers being disposed below respective supported disks. and spaced from each other in theplanezofrotation of-respective supported disks, and

bearing means for, rotatively supporting said rollers.

References Cited inthe file of this patent 

